Body Odor Parameters

With So Many Different Kinds of Deodorant, Which is Right for You? The sheer number of different kinds of deodorant on the supermarket shelves can overwhelm you. There are so many choices: Stick or spray? Scented or unscented? Wet or dry? Trying to decide between these can seem an impossible task. The ingredients label doesn’t help either. You would need a chemistry degree to sort out the chemical properties. So, what to do? The key to choose the right odor protection is to consider your personal body odor parameters.

What are Body Odor Parameters?

Your body odor parameters are the social, physiological, and chemical conditions that make up your body’s unique odor patterns. It’s a little different for everyone, but defining these parameters allows you to narrow your choices down to the best matches for your odor needs. So what are these parameters?

Gender– Companies market deodorants differently according to the sex of the consumer. And it’s not just the darker hues of greens, blues and browns for men, and pinks and pastels for the gals or the fact that women’s scents tend to be fruitier than men’s. There are biochemical reasons as well. The glands that excrete sweat and create armpit odor act differently in relation to male and female sex hormones. Getting a gender specific deodorant increases the chances you will get maximum odor protection.

Odor Intensity – Factors like body type and diet can change the intensity of your odor patterns. If you are overweight or eat a diet high in fats, you may find that the glands in your armpits secrete stronger odors than your skinnier, vegetarian acquaintances. A stronger, dry stick may be more appropriate for you if you have stronger body odors. You may also consider getting a scented deodorant that will chemically mask your body odors when your deodorant breaks down late in the day.

On the other hand, have milder natural ingredients like baking soda. These will have a less of a reaction with your body while still keeping you dry and odor free.

Skin Sensitivity and Health – If you are prone to eczema or other skin sensitivity conditions, you will want to choose a deodorant with hypoallergenic properties. These deodorants avoid the harsh chemicals that most often cause reactions in people with skin sensitivities.

Ideally, you want to use deodorants with natural compounds that have a longer track record of health testing. The stronger your deodorant, the greater the chance that the chemicals used have negative side effects.

Extraneous Factors – You may also want to consider factors such as cost when choosing from the different kinds of deodorant. If you only trust brand names, you may have to pay a little more. You may also have certain moral and political considerations. Are you okay with animal testing, for example? If these considerations are important to you, you will have to do some extra investigation. These days, most deodorants indicate whether they were tested on animals right on the package, just look for the animal cruelty label.

Trial Runs – With these factors in mind, you are now armed with the tools you need to narrow the many different kinds of deodorant to two or three that are the best match for you. Try each for a month—preferably all in the same season—and choose the one that best fits your body’s odor pattern.